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Thursday, 28 November 2013

MATS Blogtour: School is good for you :-) … Schule tut gut!

Today it is my turn to blog about our five weeks in the Lilla Rogers Studio School. A goup of classmates from "Make Art That Sells, Part 1" got together to do this blogtour, as a way to celebrate what we've just experienced. I think for my regular readers it has already transpired that I LOVED it :-) but I'll have to rave on some more now! And I am very much looking forward to part 2 in spring 2014.

Ok, now what to say about this course that hasn't been said before? … the blogosphere is full of well diserved praise right now.

I thought about it for quite a while … the main reason why doing MATS has been so very good for me lies in the course's broad perspective. I loved exploring all the different markets: bolt fabric, home decor, children's books, wall art and the gift market. And there's more to come in part B! Some of these markets are completely new for me, some familiar, some revisited.

Along the way, parts of a puzzle came together: the fusion of design and illustration. My love of handprinting could shine through. There was calligraphy/ typography involved, photography and painting as well. Even my good old graphic design layout skills are a good thing to have. All these things fuse together to make something new and exciting. There are no boundaries, no categories, just (hopefully) good art!

Plus we were learning from an artist AND agent with such a broad experience as Lilla Rogers.

These 5 weeks have made me really believe – and this for the very first time to be honest! – that the road I am on is the right one. I have enjoyed my journey in the last 3 years, moving step by step from graphic design to surface pattern design and illustration. BUT … there was always this nagging voice in the back of my head. "What if I am moving in the wrong direction? … What if I put in all this energy and love and it won't sell in the end … what if I am wasting my time … what if I am not good enough …" Sounds familiar? As independent designers we are facing a lot of challenges, and insecurity is one of the biggest. But yes, it is possible to make a good living this way! There are so many markets! There are so many possibilities! It's been a big shift in my mind. I feel much more confident. And that's a massive treat :-)

As well there are ALL THE OTHER TREATS that the course came with:

- a wonderful, positive and dedicated teacher – thanks Lilla!

- a great (ongoing) community of creative people from around the world

- fantastic assignments

- an amazing energy boost

- a steep learning curve

- a lot of fun (and - oh well - some little frustrations along the way…)

- some wise Lilla sayings to keep you on track, e.g.: "Your talent is not finite!" … "People buy your joy!" … "You have to put in the hours" and my fave "Get cracking!"